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The next virus threat: IP telephony

While mobile telephone viruses have been the subject of headlines recently, IP-based telephones could represent a more immediate security threat for many businesses.

"Attacks on IP phones are actually quite frequent," said Roy Wakim, convergence solutions manager at Avaya South Pacific. "Security is a major issue."

Voice-over-IP solutions have gained increasing enterprise traction. A study earlier this year by Integrated Research found that 56 per cent of medium and large companies were already using IP telephony, and a further 26 per cent were planning a trial within 12 months. A key attraction of such systems is reduced maintenance and deployment costs, as a single network can be used for voice and data.

But that flexibility comes at a cost. While there are no acknowledged reports of actual viruses aimed at IP telephones, the fact that they have their own IP address means they are frequently probed as potential attack sites, Wakim said. Poorly configured networks could allow voice calls to be monitored -- a problem which Avaya and other vendors attempt to circumvent by encrypting calls. Virus attacks such as Nimda which slow down network performance can also render phones inoperable.

As IP telephones move beyond simply handling voice calls to running applications which directly access enterprise data networks, the virus risk is likely to increase. In the Integrated Research study, 66 per cent of respondents listed the ability to deploy applications as a major attraction of IP telephony.

Vendors have long recognised the potential for attacks via IP telephony networks. "Voice networks are juicy targets for hackers with ulterior motives," Cisco notes in a white paper on the topic. "The main issue with voice networks today is that they are generally wide open and require little or no authentication to gain access."

Hmmm... I could write a virus.... My work phone would only accept calls from chicks.... hmmmm....

As everyday objects and devices become more and more computerized.... there is an almost.... natural evolution of... I don't know how to say it.... Cracker bullshyst?

It's bound to happen, and honestly, is not exactly a bad thing. The continual advancement of technology and security is driven by the negative aspects of such. Good things continually grow out of bad things.

It's bound to happen, and honestly, is not exactly a bad thing. The continual advancement of technology and security is driven by the negative aspects of such. Good things continually grow out of bad things.

It is true it seems that not only technology but people in general thrive under pressures. When we are at work and something needs to be done by a certain time (bad thing) you work hard pull 80hr weeks and get the project done on time, get the bonus and get drunk (good thing).

If you don't like my first example think of this. When the interenet first came blazing onto the scene the security was very laxed (if at all) however people were very reluctant to put all their critical information on there. However through people hacking it and turning the systems upside down trying to get in it has shown the advances in technology and almost everything is computerized. When we find a a flaw we know that it is time to develop new security against it and in turn creating a safer environment that can not be controlled by one perso (sorry Bill).

What if the a mobile phone virus, which absorbs kinda' maximum radiation into it, hence damaging human brain.... Nice delving into fantacies...
Then is the generation where coded virus infect humans, like the other bionic virus.
Today's wierdest thoughts, tomorrow's realitiy...

I don't think there will ever be a real thread of virusses in IP telephony (except for DOS (LAG) by virii on other systems)
The VOIP platform is way to pluriform to be an attraction for virus writers (VXers)..
On the other hand, as soon as one vendor becomes market leader (90+% of all VOIP system is a ... ) the chance of VXers becomming interested in the platform increases..

ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI.
When in Russia, pet a PETSCII.
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Yea guys last month i visited www.astalavista.com there was a tool for Telephony or something related to that. Well i downloaded it somewhere i my system. I'll check any tell you more on that.

Is there any Member of astalavista.com here

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What about when automobiles become more computer based? Lets face it, that's almost here. Onstar, gps navigation, front and rear end motion sensors, blah blah blah.

I'm positive that cars in the future will have a constant access to the net, and what security will be there? Nobody would think of cars having viruses, and even if they do, most probably wouldn't want to update patches on their vehicles. When that time comes, a virus could do anything to that car it pleased.
Who knows, it could possibly be a future terrorist threat.

I believe in making the world safe for our children, but not our childrenís children, because I donít think children should be having sex. -- Jack Handey